This book addresses the challenges faced by arts organizations, schools, and community-based settings when designing program evaluations and measuring artistic engagement and experience. With contributions from leaders in the field, this volume is an exemplary collection of complete program evaluations that assess music, theater, dance, multimedia, and the visual arts in a variety of contexts.

Musical theater is a dynamic, collaborative art form, which encompasses music, theater, dance, and the visual arts. Traditionally associated with adult performers, musicals also have roles designated specifically for children. How then does involvement in musical theater support children's learning through the performing arts? What do children value from their musical theater experiences and how do these experiences influence children's personal, social, and artistic lives? Based on a decade of research, this book explores these questions through children's participation as singers, actors, and dancers, in school-based, community, and professional musical theater. By valuing children's voices as important in understanding experience, Rajan constructs a framework of musical theater participation, and applies broader educational implications to highlight the unique characteristics of musical theater in children's lives.

Musical theater is a dynamic, collaborative art form, which encompasses music, theater, dance, and the visual arts. Traditionally associated with adult performers, musicals also have roles designated specifically for children. How then does involvement in musical theater support children's learning through the performing arts? What do children value from their musical theater experiences and how do these experiences influence children's personal, social, and artistic lives? Based on a decade of research, this book explores these questions through children's participation as singers, actors, and dancers, in school-based, community, and professional musical theater. By valuing children's voices as important in understanding experience, Rajan constructs a framework of musical theater participation, and applies broader educational implications to highlight the unique characteristics of musical theater in children's lives.

A musical composer, guitar rocker, and lyric opera singer team up to write this sensational book on songwriting. This book includes everything you want to know about the core competencies of songwriting, elements of music, and lyrics. Features include writing song lyrics, crafting musical compositions, musical styles, getting a contract, sustaining a career, publishers and agents, recording, and even how to survive in the music industry. No matter what music genre you desire---blues, country, hip hop, gospel, punk, classical, alternative, jingles, or rock---this is the book for you. You will find this fascinating book filled with tips, quotes from famous songwriters and musicians, and numerous stories on songwriting that will keep you fully engaged.

A musical composer, guitar rocker, and lyric opera singer team up to write this sensational book on songwriting. This book includes everything you want to know about the core competencies of songwriting, elements of music, and lyrics. Features include writing song lyrics, crafting musical compositions, musical styles, getting a contract, sustaining a career, publishers and agents, recording, and even how to survive in the music industry. No matter what music genre you desire---blues, country, hip hop, gospel, punk, classical, alternative, jingles, or rock---this is the book for you. You will find this fascinating book filled with tips, quotes from famous songwriters and musicians, and numerous stories on songwriting that will keep you fully engaged.

A first of its kind, this book provides you everything you need to know about successfully navigating the grant writing process including understanding the language of grant writing, finding grants, preparing the proposal, completing the application, preparing budgets, organizing information and timelines, revising and editing the proposal, including the assessment and evaluation, and building meaningful relationships with program officers and colleagues.

Musical Theater in Schools: Purpose, Process, and Performance is a comprehensive resource for general classroom teachers, music and drama educators. The book is the first of its kind to provide strategies for including musical theater across the K-12 curriculum, inviting teachers and arts specialists to utilize musical theater as an interdisciplinary art form within their own classrooms, or as collaborative projects throughout the school community. Typically relegated to after-school activities, musical theater can have a strong place both as an avenue for performance, creativity, and self-expression, or as a pathway for student learning about academic subjects. Drawing upon musical theater terminology, the book is organized into three distinct acts. The first section gives an overview of how this popular art form developed and how its stories reflect our culture and community, with descriptions of musical theater as a profession for adults, and for children. This section also discusses musical theater's compromised position within the arts, often relegated to theater departments even though repertoire and songs are available to music teachers, and argues for musicals as a form of interdisciplinary education. The second section outlines ways of integrating musical theater into the curriculum with considerations for the National Core Arts Standards. The third section provides suggestions for auditions, casting, rehearsing, and presenting a complete production, with a specific focus on student-centered performances. ased on the author's own experiences as a professional musical theater performer, coupled with teaching and research in classroom settings, the book reasons that you do not have to be a Broadway star to teach or perform musical theater. This unique and innovative book supports educators through the process of bringing musical theater into the biggest and most important performance space - the classroom stage.

What do a guitar, a harp, and a piano have in common? They are all strings! This first introduction begins with a simple explanation of what defines a string instrument. Young readers are then invited on a global exploration of a variety of different stringed instruments and are encouraged to find strings of their own in the world around them. Includes a bound-in string to strum, and a visual glossary. Each title in the THIS IS MUSIC series features an interactive novelty musical element that invites the reader to 'play' the book!

Make music with this hands-on introduction to the four instrument families: drums, horns, strings, and voice in this new board book series by a world-renown music educator. What do a set of bongos, a tambourine, and a cooking pot have in common? They are all drums! This first introduction to instruments in the drum family begins with a simple explanation of what defines a drum. Young readers are then invited on a global exploration of a variety of percussive instruments and are encouraged to find drums of their own in the world around them. Each title in the THIS IS MUSIC series features an interactive novelty musical element that invites the reader to "play" the book!

Make music with this hands-on introduction to the four instrument families: drums, horns, strings, and voice in this new board book series by a world-renown music educator. What do a trumpet, a tuba, and a conch shell have in common? They are all horns! This first introduction to instruments in the horn family begins with a simple explanation of what defines a horn. Young readers are then invited on a global exploration of a variety of brass and wind instruments and are encouraged to find horns of their own in the world around them. Each title in the THIS IS MUSIC series features an interactive novelty musical element that invites the reader to "play" the book!

"The author provides a theoretically sound and standards-based approach to incorporating performing arts into every aspect of curriculum for all ages. Teachers will be able to immediately implement new and engaging activities into all learning domains." -Michelle Barnea, Early Childhood Consultant Innovations for Early Learning, Millburn, NJ "This is a great book to help students develop creativity, self-esteem and metacognition. It also helps students make meaningful connections to all areas of the curriculum." -Tamara Daugherty, Third-Grade Teacher Lakeville Elementary School, Apopka, FL Research documents that the arts boost learning, build confidence, and motivate students to participate in class. How do we keep the performing arts alive in this era of increased accountability and decreased funding? Rekha S. Rajan sets the stage for a creative and practical solution with detailed, concrete examples of how to integrate the performing arts into math, science, social studies, and language arts. Key features include Step-by-step examples of how to include the performing arts in all aspects of the curriculum Ways to impact students' learning in the cognitive, social, and artistic domains Activities that can be implemented immediately and easily Detailed lesson plans connected to the National Standards for Arts Education, National Standards for Early Childhood and Elementary Education, and Common Core Standards for Math and Language Arts Students in grades K-5 need creative venues that encourage self-confidence, self-expression, and collaboration. The performing arts provide opportunities to build personal and social skills that are an integral component of learning and development. This accessible resource provides all teachers with the tools to integrate the performing arts throughout their curriculum.